Walking doll.



; Patented Mar. ll, I902. E. U. STEINER. WALKlNG DGLL. (Application filed June a, 1901.

(9G0 Model.)

1 WITNESSES:

Nrrsn States aren't Fries.

WALKING DQLL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 695,121, dated March 1 1, 1902.

Application filedd'une s, 1 0 SeriaI No. 63,691. on model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDMUND ULRICH STEI- NER,a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, New York, county .of Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Imnrovements in Talking Dolls, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to toy figures, particularly dolls and the like, which are pur posed to imitate automatically the motion of walking. It isthe special object of this invention to produce a walking doll of that type which when led by the hands, for instance, will move its feet forward alternately and successively. The walking doll further is constructed so that it may be made to sit erectly. In order to produce a commerciallysuccessful toy of this type, the mechanism employed therein must be simple, cheap, and practically indestructible. These requirements are'fulfilled in my novel walking doll, which has a very plain mechanism, so that it can be manufactured cheaply and still is very durable.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the undressed doll, embodying my invention and showing the middle portion broken away. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line no a: of Fig. 1, showing in bottom view a horizontal reciprocating movement. Fig. 3 represents in section the lower right portion of the body on line y y, and Fig. 4 shows in side view oneleg of the doll turned up rectangular-1y in the position in which. it rests when the doll is made to sit erectly.

Similarletters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.

The body and the legs of the doll are made separate and connected by parts of the mechaniszn. The leg-actuating mechanism is contained in the lower hollow portion of the trunk of the body, and consists, essentially, in a hori'lontal reciprocating movement which possesses the advantage of not extending high up into the hollow trunk, and therefore is easily mounted therein. The mechanism is preferably made of metal and consists of a frame f, Fig. 1, whose top portion forms a horizontal bar and is bent on both sides rectangnlarly downward, forming two side bars Between the extreme ends of b b there is secured a rod 1-, which is surrounded closely by 'a tube r, divided into two halves 7' 1' On each of these sliding halves r r is movably fastened a shank 3. Each shank extends down into one leg and is secured to same,so

that it is thereby connected to the mechanism. The halves T 1 of the tube 1 carry each one shank s, so that 1' moves slightly on the rod 1* with oneshank and leg, while r moves slightly with the other shank and leg. The horizontal top portion of the framef carries on its lower surface the oscillating lever l,

Figs. 1 and 2. This lever is centrally pivoted to the frame, permitting thus of its to-andfro motion in a horizontalplane. The central portion of the lever slides or moves on thelower surface of the top portion of the frame. Then the lever is bent vertically down on both sides and again horizontally, so that ,its side ends are parallel with the top portion of the frame, as at Z. Each shank is graduallyjncreasing in width from bottom to top,

as is shownin Fig. ,3, and at the top the central portion is cut'out, so that two vertical stops 3 s are produced on its side ends. In the center or the cut-out portion there is produced a square incision t', Fig; 3, in which reststhe one side portion Z of the oscillatinglever Z, while in the incision of the other shank rests the other side portion of the lever Z. The top portion of the frame, Fig. 2, is pro--. vided with four recesses e, in which the stops 8' rest alternately when the doll is walking, arresting thereby the motion of the legs at a certain point, so that the doll can only make graceful steps of acertainlength. After this mechanism has been secured to the legs then it is mounted within the lower portion of the hollow trunk of the body and secured therein by means of a cement, which adheres both to the composition of the trunk and themetal, or itmay be riveted.

It now the doll is desiredto walk, the child. takes it by the hands, drawing it gently for ward while standing on one foot; Then the shank above this foot moves on the rod r, actuating thereby the oscillating lever lina horizontal plane, whereby the other shank is moved by means of the other portion Z", which consequently moves the other leg forward. It

IDO

. erectly. I

' Having thus described my invention, I.

- 'lnord'er to' enable the doll t o sit, the lower portion "ofea'ch shank s isipivoted to the: metal bar 22', Fig. 1, whichextends somewhat down into-the leg.- At the extreme end of b a spring 5? isriveted thereto. This spring is cnrvedand extends upward to the-end of the bar' bfl'where its end rests against a small detent at, containedi-nan opening on theen'd of the bar I) and ending in an opening in the shank which coincides with the opening in the b.. By turning up the legs on the pivots 7 which connect the shanks s with the bars 1), until they form a right angle with the 'body then each detentwill move out-of the opening in. each shank and finally rest against the horizontal rear end of same. The spring .9

pressing against the head of theldetent, prevents it'from falling out. 7

It is plainly seen that the legs and the shanks are perfectly secured when the detent is in. the opening in theshank.

- In the described, manner. an automatic walking doll is produced which works by means of a very plain reciprocating-lever mechanism that moves in a horizontal plane, and in addition the doll may he made to sit claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent Y 7 1. In a Walkingmechanism for toy figures the combination with the body, of a frame mounted therein composed of a Li -shaped bar,

a horizontally-oscillating lever loosely conneeted with the bar and provided with offset horizontal ends, a rod connecting the ends of the bar, sleeves mounted thereon, bifurcated shanks'rigidlysecu'red to the sleevcsand "extending into engagement at one end with the limbs of the figure, and their bifurcated ends 40- ac'tuatin g the lever and adapted to engage the bar'to limit the movement-of the limbs, sub-, stantially as specified.

2. In a doll of the class described the coinloination. of a framemounted in thebody, and I having shanks pivotally connected therewith plates mounted in the limbs of the figure and pivotally' connected to the shanks, a springpressed detent carried by theplates and adapted to be engaged and disengaged from the shanks'when it is desired to have the'figure assume an upright or sitting position.

3. In a walking mechanism for toy figures a frame forming a horizontal bar at the top provided with four recesses and two sides rectangular thereto, and a rod connecting the bottom ends of the sides,)a slidable tube snr-.

rounding closely the rod and divided in'the center, an oscillating lever pivoted centrally to the inner surface of the topfratne-bar bent 6o downward on both'sides near the. pivot and again rectangular and parallel to the top'loar of the frame and rod, and two shanks secured one on each half of the slidahle tube extend ing in width from'bot-tom to top and provided .65 with an incision in the center engaging the lever, and twostops at the top ends coinciding with the recesses, as specified.

Signed by neat New York, State of New York, this 28th day of May, 1901. i Q I EDMUND ULRICH STEINER. Witnesseszg ALFRED STEINER, '1". JEROME NAGLE. 

